Western Bulldogs at centre of heated clash between AFL greats
The Western Bulldogs were active players in the lively AFL trade period, but two footy legends have clashed about their expectations for the 2016 premiers next season.
The club lost reigning best and fairest Josh Dunkley after he requested a trade to Brisbane, but were able to secure the services of ruck/forward Rory Lobb and Liam Jones.
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After an inconsistent season saw them barely scrape into the finals before they were sent packing by Fremantle, some AFL observers believed the engine room featuring the elite talents of Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Liberatore and Jack Macrae has underperformed in recent seasons.
The Bulldogs missed the finals the year after their 2016 premiership, before making the grand final once again in 2021, only to be thumped by Melbourne.
Despite the brutal end to their season, expectations were high coming into the 2022 season, only for the Bulldogs to fall back into the middle of the pack.
Following the trade period, which also saw the club part ways with Lachie Hunter (Melbourne), Josh Schache (Melbourne) and Zaine Cordy (St Kilda), North Melbourne great David King sparred with Bulldogs legend Brad Johnson about where the club should be next season.
The pair disagreed vehemently about the structure of the Bulldogs' list, with King arguing the club risked not capitalising on a list in its prime.
Johnson defended the Bulldogs, in particular the likes of prized draft picks Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Sam Darcy, saying there was still time for them to establish themselves alongside their midfield core.
“You make a lot of excuses for the Dogs ‘Johnno’, you really do," King said during the conversation on Fox Footy.
"They’ve got a superstar midfield and they have lacked key position type talent.
"They’ve got a pick 1 academy selection Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and father-son pick 2 Sam Darcy, they’ve been given luxuries not every other club has had."
AFL legends clash over Western Bulldogs expectations
Johnson admitted the Bulldogs had underperformed in 2022 and there wasn't an obvious reason as to why, but said the club still had the pieces in place to contend in the medium term.
“I’ve been big on, since winning the flag in 2016, how this club was going to become a top four team, which they haven’t achieved in that whole period. That’s still the question," he said.
I think 2016 was similar to Collingwood (this year), they got to the top, weren’t really ready as a group to then compete against the very best consistently after an unbelievable month.
"And then the they had some disappointing years, then they got to a grand final again, and then fell off and weren’t as competitive.
"There’s some elements now that are set up for this team to become a top four team.”
King though, wasn't buying it.
Pointing out that incoming recruits Lobb and Jones weren't on the younger side, he argued the Bulldogs couldn't keep 'kicking the can down the road' when it comes to being consistent across the whole season.
"So you’re saying ‘Bont’ will be no good at 30? Yes, there’s a window now – and I do get what you’re saying Kingy, these guys you’ve mentioned are the guns of the Bulldogs right now," Johnson replied.
"But it hasn’t been enough. In 2016 that midfield mix won them the flag, but they had something different the competition couldn’t stop.”
Despite this, King continued to argue that there would be 'no excuses' for the Dogs not to finish in the top four next season, despite what is shaping up to be a tight contest at the top of the ladder.
"You’ve made excuses that they haven’t had the key posistion forward and back to arm them totally, well now they’ve got them," King argued.
"For me, it’s the Dogs to charge and make top four. There are no excuses next year.”
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